Arsenal: Thomas Lemar can’t become another Alexandre Lacazette

Arsenal look to be hot on the heels of Thomas Lemar despite the setbacks, which is good, to avoid him the next Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal are apparently taking their pursuit of Thomas Lemar very seriously. After having their initial £31m bid stomped in the dirt, they were told to pay £50m or £80m, depending on who – if anyone – you believe.

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Regardless, the Gunners have reportedly stumped up an improved £40m bid for the creative French attacker after having already (again reportedly) agreed to personal terms. Which I’m still fairly certain means absolutely nothing but hey, it sounds nice.

That second bid, if proven true, is huge, because it shows more than the Gunners were willing to put forth for Alexandre Lacazette last year when their initial, paltry £29m was declined. The year before that did not fair any better. Lemar is already taking a better path, but there’s still such a long way to go.

We know we need him now, otherwise we wouldn’t be bidding on him. We can’t keep picking away every summer until we land him three years from now. Pain in the Arsenal writer Rachael brought up a good, if not inconvenient point about Lacazette, and that’s that we should have had him sooner. No excuses. Aulas said last year he wanted the business done before the end of July. The right bid and he’s gone. That’s all that had to be accomplished.

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So Arsenal way underbid and were rejected. They couldn’t find a reliable striker all throughout the following season. All we can do is wonder what would have happened if we had just paid Lacazette then what we are paying him now. Could we have avoided such a rough season? Who knows. All we can do is deal in the here and now.

If Lemar is needed now, which I’d reckon he is, seeing as how Alexis is pushing for an exit and Arsene Wenger has reportedly submitted that all-important second bid, then we have to land him now. Again – no excuses. If money isn’t an issue, which again, Wenger has said that it isn’t, if it’s for the right player, then pay the man.

You can’t just settle for a secondary option or go into the season without addressing a need that you are owning up to. Lemar can’t feasibly cost £80m. That’s stupid. But even at £50m, re-breaking the club record, what’s there to lose?

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With the tenacity that Wenger has shown this summer, especially so early, I wouldn’t rule anything out.